Tools to help play tabletop games online with the squad

polygon.com:

Tabletop gaming is more accessible than ever, and there’s something delightful about crowding around a table with friends to hoot and holler over the fates of fictional elves, Lovecraftian detectives, or embattled Space Marines. There’s definitely a summer camp feel to the camaraderie and adventure, although the trials and tribulations of a pen-and-paper session tend to be a little more ambitious than roasting s’mores and singing songs around the campfire.

Running one of these games can be intimidating, and with the COVID-19 pandemic, many groups have moved online. There are advantages and disadvantages to this approach — it’s easier to rustle up a group, but harder to engage. Though with a few handy-dandy tools, it’s easier to set up an online tabletop group than you might think.

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There are a few ways to go about setting up your game, but Discord is a surprisingly adept organizational tool — and, depending on the game you’re playing and the systems it uses, it may be enough to host your game on its own with the addition of a dice-rolling bot and a little bit of prep.

If you’re looking for something a little more tangible, Tabletop Simulator is a popular choice for many games, as it offers the tactile feel of moving minis around a map or rolling a critical success. Need something a little more sophisticated for a dungeon crawl or elaborate campaign? Roll 20 and Foundry Virtual Tabletop offer a host of tools for both players and game masters and allow everything from setting up a soundtrack to tracking feats and fumbles. My husband and I are using